take better travel photos issue 1

TAKEBETTERTRAVELPHOTOS

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TRAVEL & HOLIDAY PHOTOGRAPHY

Summer 2011 | Issue 1 | 4.50

JUNIORSNAPPERS

Photo ideas for kids

Shoot perfectblue seas Take dramaticwilldlife pictures Make yourown photobook

HOW TO

THE 10 BESTCOMPACTS &DSLRS REVIEWED

25 easyways to getgreat shots

own photobook

HANDYGUIDES:

Portraits Sunsets Night Festivals

Black & white

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Winan amazing trip to Indiaworth2,500!

4 | TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011

GET INSPIRED

10 Travel photos of the decadeIncredible pictures from ten years of the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year competition every one of them by amateurs, like you!

22 Win a trip to ColombiaEnter your best pictures into the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year competition 2011 and win a trip tocolourful Colombia!

CONTENTS24 Marrakech: A day in the lightExpert travel photographer Paul Harris looks at how to take advantage of the changing light to capture the best possible images, from sunrise to sunset.

30 Photo Icon:The Taj MahalIconic buildings like the Taj Mahal are so familiar it can be tricky to take an original picture. Steve Davey shows how to make your photos better than the postcards.

40 Take better travel photos(no new kit required!)From planning your shots to getting to know your camera, we off er 25 tips on how to improve your photographic skills and start taking more striking shots. The best bit? They wont cost you a penny.

56 Whipper snappersTwo 10-year-old photography enthusiasts share their favourite shots and off er advice for other young wannabe snappers on how to take great photos.

Could you do better than this? Check out the best amateur shots from 10 years of the Wanderlust Travel Photo Of The Year Competition and then enter this years contest

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Win anamazing tripto India worth

2,500!P38

CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTSMarrakech: A day in the lightExpert travel photographer Paul

Harris looks at how to take advantage of the changing light to capture the best possible images, from sunrise to sunset.

Photo Icon:The Taj Mahal

Iconic buildings like the Taj Mahal are so familiar it can be tricky to take an original picture. Steve Davey shows how to make your photos better than the postcards.

Take better travel photos(no new kit required!)Take better travel photos(no new kit required!)Take better travel photos

From planning your shots to getting to know your camera, we off er 25 tips on how to improve your photographic skills and start taking more striking shots. The best bit? They wont cost you a penny.

Whipper snappersTwo 10-year-old

photography enthusiasts share their favourite shots and off er advice for other young wannabe snappers on how to take great photos.

CONTENTSCONTENTS

know your camera, we off er 25 tips on how

photography enthusiasts share their

Cover storyCheck out our easy25 ways to take better travel photos whether you have a top-of-the-range camera or something a little more, ahem, antiquated

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TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011 | 5

TIPS & SKILLS

64 Masai Mara photo safariCamera klutz Chris Haslam tries sharpening up his wildlife photography skills on safari in wild Africa.

72 Specialist photo safarisAdvice on choosing the right kit and fi nding the right photographic safari and guide.

74 Five minute guide:Shooting waterHeading for the seaside? We explain howto capture turquoise seas and misty waterfalls on camera.

80 Ten rules for the roadFrom backing up your fi les to keeping your kit clean, we off er ten tips for happy photo hunting.

84 Get creative withyour compactFor those with less snazzy cameras, you can still achieve some great shots if you know a few tricks of the trade.

88 Five minute guide:Awesome landscapesTaking an evocative landscape photo isnt as simple as it might seem. Pro photographer David Ward shares his expertise.

94 Do try this at homeIts homework time and your assignments include snapping squirrelsand saying hello to strangers.

98 Compacts vs DSLRs:which one is right for you?With a bewildering array of cameras to choose from, we off er three steps to buying the right camera for you plus advice on where to buy it.

101 Top ten DSLRsWant to shoot like the pros without spending a fortune? Check out our roundup of the best digital single lens refl ex (DSLR) cameras to suit travellers needs.

104 Top ten compactsTen compact cameras for photo enthusiasts who dont want a DSLR cramping their snap-happy style.

108 Photographerskit bagFilters, spirit levels, tripods,cleaners...Theres so much camera kit to choose from, but which pieces really are must-haves?

110 Making movies:holiday video camerasWhether youre using a handheld camcorder or the video recorder on your mobile phone, we off er advice on fi nding the best device to fi lm your trip.

KIT & CAMERAS

116 Processing: how to turn your photos up to 11Why shooting in RAW format makes it easy to turn photos from near-misses to masterpieces. Plus, basic digital processing skills and the software to look out for.

122 Create your ownphotobookWe pick some of the best photobook providers to help you design an album full of all your favourite travel pics.

126 Ten best gallery appsDownloadable applications to help you enhance, distort and generally play around with your photos.

128 GlossaryWhat the hecks a DSLR, anyway? And whats this white balance business? A helpful glossary of camera terms for photography newbies.

FINAL TOUCHES

choose from, we off er three steps to buying the right camera for you plus advice on

7474Cover storyCapture watersports action and get those deep blue seas really blue with our step-by-step guideto Shooting water(ticket to Bora Bora sadly not included).

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131 FIVE HANDY GUIDESIn a hurry? Flip to our series of quick reference guides to brush up on Portraits, Sunsets, Festivals, Black & White and After Dark snappery.

MINI MASTERCLASSES

Camera at the readyLazing on the Greek Island of Santorini? No matter where you are, always have your camera to hand

2 THINK BEFORE YOU SHOOTLook in and around the scene, and think about how you are going to make the most of its potential. Is the foreground interesting enough? Are the colours too distracting? If light, weather, time and mood are simply not helping, come back another day. PH

1 TAKE A CAMERA EVERYWHEREAs the adage has it, the best camera is the one you have with you. The fanciest DSLR in the world is no good back in your hotel room.

better travel photosbetter travel photosYoure packed and ready to go but what will you come back with? Our panel of experts explains how to make this years holiday photos your best ever,using only what youve already got: a camera and your imagination

better travel photos

WAYS TO TAKE

better travel photosbetter travel photos25

25 TOP TIPSGET INSPIRED

4 USE BACK-LIGHTING FOR DRAMA Conventional wisdom says you should take photographs with the sun behind you, which tends to give warmer tones. But sometimes you can achieve dramatic results by placing yourself so your subject is back-lit (shooting with the sun facing you). This is especially true if youre shooting in the early morning or late evening, when the sun often produces a warm rim-lighting around the edge of your subject. SE

Suzi Eszterhas (SE) is an award-winning professional wildlife photographer, based in California and the UK. As well as shooting assignments for newspapers and magazines

worldwide, she leads inspirational wildlife photography tours: trips with availability for 2011-2012 include Borneo, Costa Rica, India and Madagascar. www.suzieszterhas.com

Paul Harris (PH) has a distinguished 25-year career documenting people and landscapes around the world, with a particular focus on environmental issues and

adventure travel. Based in North Yorkshire, he is a and a judge on the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year competition, and leads trips for Wanderlust Journeys (www.wanderlust-journeys.co.uk).www.paulharrisphotography.com

London-based Peter Mallet (PM) is an in-demand editorial photographer, shooting travel assignments for Wanderlust, Sunday Times Travel, Geographical and other top

magazines. See www.petermallet.com

Additional tips by Steve Davey & Dan Linstead.Additional images: Getty, Alamy, Eric Baldauf, Steve Davey

Suzi Eszterhasaward-winning professional wildlife photographer, based in California and the UK. As well as shooting assignments for newspapers and magazines

Paul Harrisdistinguished 25-year career documenting people and landscapes around the world, with a particular focus on environmental issues and

adventure travel. Based in North Yorkshire, he is a

London-based (photographer, shooting travel assignments for Sunday Times TravelGeographical

magazines. See www.petermallet.com

THE EXPERTS

42 | TAKE BETTER TRAVEL PHOTOS Summer 2011

3GET TO KNOW YOUR CAMERAOK, so nobody loves reading the manual but the more you know about your cameras capabilities, the more creative you can be. Even the humblest compact camera has a myriad options, so start experimenting. Take the same scene diff erent ways and compare them. Try it once with fl ash, and once without; once close-up and once out wide; try diff erent shutter speeds and white balance settings. For a handy demo of how to use basic SLR settings, have a play with the virtual camera at www.camerasim.com.

5DONT MISS THE GOLDEN HOURS AFTER SUNRISE AND BEFORE SUNSET You can take g